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Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW We all have memories from elementary school of the weekly trip to the school library, either leafing through the card catalogs or searching the computer database for that perfect book, that one tome that would capture our imaginations and open us up to new worlds. Unfortunately, not all students have that option today. The Mary M. Lynch Elementary School, located on the North Branch Parkway in Springfield, does not have a full library for its 296 students, who span grades kindergarten through five. That's why Tim Callahan, a junior at East Longmeadow High School and soon-to-be Eagle Scout, stepped in with a project to collect books for the school. "I've always been a big reader," Callahan said. "I love reading fantasy and crime and mystery novels." That love of reading carried over into the 17-year-old Boy Scout's Eagle project. He explained how his mother began working at the Mary Lynch School at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year and noticed there weren't a lot of books for the students to read. "Reading is important," he stated. "It leads to a fuller, better education." While there is not a full library in the school, the teachers have personal collections in each of their classrooms for their students to choose from, Callahan explained. "The fact is that he's really going to help us," Mary Lynch School principal Tara Christian Clark said. "Literacy is very important to us. We're a cornerstone school and literacy is one of the things we're focusing on." Clark said the school is currently in the process of building up its library. "We have one, but it's small," she explained. "Students don't have a lot of choice and there's no circulation." She commended Callahan on his choice to help the school with his Eagle Scout project. "I did something similar when I was a Girl Scout for my Gold Award," Clark said. "He's really taking a leadership role at a young age and the classroom libraries he'll be adding to will help with independent reading and projects for our students." Callahan, who said he started to develop the idea for the project in December, has a goal of collecting between 150 and 300 books on March 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. He and his fellow scouts of Troop 179 will be based in Heritage Park that day, but will be traveling door to door to collect any new or gently used childrens' books, geared toward kindergarten through fifth grade reading levels, for the Mary Lynch School. He added he'll be donating some of his personal collection of books as well. "If it goes well, it's possible I'll do another collection," Callahan said. "And if I inspire another scout to do something like this, it means another school will have the privilege of having books." He joined Boy Scout Troop 1 in Honesdale, Pa., at age 11 and when his family moved to East Longmeadow in 2003, he transferred to Troop 179. His father and older brother were Boy Scouts as well, and his brother's Eagle Scout project was similar to his own. He gathered books then had his troop audibly record them so young children could use the tapes as tools to improve their reading skills. Callahan stressed the importance of reading and added that it really was a "good idea" to do this collection project. "A lot of these kids don't have the opportunity to go to Barnes & Noble," Clark said. "[Callahan's] project will provide books for reading at home. Independent reading is a big thing. Hopefully, this will get more children to enjoy reading. "We really appreciate all the hard work going into this initiative," Clark added. Those interested in adding books to Callahan's collection can also stop by Heritage Park to donate on March 1. |
